by Emma Liddiard, chairman of the Institute of Directors Kent branch, managing director and mum

So, I missed my train to the Royal Albert Hall, London, for the Institute of Directors Annual Convention 2013.

Yes, bad time management as you are entitled to think, but not as you might expect.

I hate people being late and because I fear being one of those people, I helpfully set all my clocks fast to ensure I arrive in good time.

However, not all clocks keep to the same time (design fault!) and after a year or so of this system working comfortably, I now have so many different timings in my house, watch, car, phone and Mac, that I have completely lost track.

So I missed my train by 53 seconds – note to self, download national rail app – and I was that person who was late.

Apologies to Anthony Mann Recruitment who was left standing at St Pancras, but still made it on time for a great day where small firms building their reputation, brushed shoulders with established businesses looking for growth and opportunity.

I even shared my lunch with a firm which had just moved to Kent so great networking and socializing too. Special mention to Boris Johnson for kicking off the day in style and with incredible humour. Some is too risky to repeat but I did feel for the chief executive of Santander UK having to follow that.

She did, with a firm and popular view to champion the risk takers.

The Rt Hon George Osborne MP was next up and the day was packed with inspirational speakers and was refreshingly pacey in order to fit everyone in.

Dan Cobley, managing director of Google UK & Ireland, wore those Google glasses all the way through his section (need a pair).

Fortune Magazine’s ‘Manager of the Century’ Jack Welch was also a coup but I think the prize for the most tweeted speech goes to Sir Richard Branson who completed a full on day.

Here are some of my favourites:

“If you have an idea to make people’s lives better – you have a business.”

“If someone tells me something is impossible that only makes me want to prove them wrong.”

“The good thing about the UK now is that we don’t punish people who fail. We encourage and understand.”

“I learnt the art of delegation early on, it means you can strike a work/life balance.”

And finally…

“There’s also plans to have a Virgin hotel on the moon.”

In other news: My son William’s fourth birthday party on a specially converted bus took care of 15 children superbly for two hours. He even got to custard-pie the driver.

Way too many presents have made me start to question whether I ever actually had a party as a child (apart from the 18th which we don’t talk about anymore).

Next the nightmare of trying to match thank you cards to presents. I can’t delegate that on.

My son William’s fourth birthday party on a specially converted bus took care of 15 children superbly for two hours. He even got to custard-pie the driver